The New York Knicks are waiting for their Western Conference opponent in the 2026 NBA Finals after one of the strongest runs through the Eastern Conference since the 2017 Cleveland Cavaliers. The Knicks have won their last 11 games straight, and their only two losses in the postseason have come by one point. The Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns-led Knicks are in their first NBA Finals since 1999, with infectious energy surging across the city.
The Knicks have been looking competitive for the last five seasons, previously making the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals, where they lost to the eventual champions Boston Celtics. After that elimination in May 2024, Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green made a ruthless prediction about the franchise on his podcast, claiming that the Knicks would go through another 15 years of misery after that success.
“You can get to the Conference Finals by playing very mid teams, and that’s kind of what you’re doing right now. What this is setting you up for, is like when the Hawks went to the Conference Finals and never went back… That’s what the Knicks are setting y’all up for right now, and it’ll probably be another 15 years of misery, and we’ll all sit around and laugh at Knicks fans with their delusion.”
Draymond Green compares the Knicks’ ‘fluke’ run to the Hawks and Blazers
“It'll be probably another 15 years of misery and we'll all sit around and laugh at Knicks fans with their delusion.”
(🎥 @TheVolumeSports / h/t @NBA_NewYork )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) May 10, 2024
While Green might hold a championship win as the standard to break the misery of Knicks fans, there’s no way anyone can realistically say Knicks fans are facing misery right now. They’re four wins away from the NBA Finals and have better odds in the Finals than most people would give them credit for.
Green’s argument was hinging on the Knicks being satisfied with the Conference Finals and their roster stagnating. However, the franchise made two major moves that very offseason that led to the team being Finals caliber. They first acquired Mikal Bridges in a sensational deal where they sent the Brooklyn Nets five first-round picks and a first-round pick swap. Then, they acquired Towns from the Minnesota Timberwolves in a deal where they lost Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo.
Green might argue he made his comments before the Knicks made those aggressive win-now moves, but his argument was also built on the fact that the franchise would become complacent after a Conference Finals appearance. Turns out, it was the opposite, and now they’re reaping the rewards.
The ultimate goal is still a championship, with the Knicks needing to take down either the OKC Thunder or the San Antonio Spurs in the 2026 NBA Finals. The Knicks will be better rested than either franchise.
The Thunder will likely head into the series with key contributors Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell’s playing status being unclear after their injuries in the Western Conference Finals. The same applies to the Spurs to a lesser degree, as they already have De’Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper playing through injuries, with their production noticeably affected by it.
The Western Conference Finals might go seven if the Spurs can win Game 6 at home, so the Knicks will be facing another exhausted team. While they technically wouldn’t be favored to beat either of the 60-win juggernauts from the West in a straight fight, factors like injuries and fatigue could swing the series their way, especially with their red-hot momentum.
It won’t be easy, but the Knicks could conclusively dispute Green’s prediction of misery. The Finals already feel like the kind of accomplishment this generation of Knicks fans will cherish for years to come, so even if this run ends without a title, calling this ‘misery’ is disrespectful to the 14 other Eastern teams that would trade places with the Knicks immediately.
